Assessing Florida’s recruiting class just days before Signing Day

The momentum from Jim McElwain’s first season in Gainesville is manifesting itself in the 2016 recruiting class despite the end-of-the-season losing streak. The Gators have received 12 of their 26 commits since the start of the 2015 season and set a school record with 13 mid-year enrollees.

In recent interviews, the Miami Herald reported McElwain is pumped about this year’s class, and some wonder if that means he’ll have a flurry of a finish like he did in 2015 when he landed two five-stars to move the class up to No. 21 in the nation by 247Sports.

This year’s class is headlined by a trio of four-star recruits —  DE Antonneous Clayton, QB Feleipe Franks and CB Chauncey Gardner.

With a vacancy on his coaching staff at defensive backs, McElwain is trying to hold on to S Jeawon Taylor of Montgomery, Ala. after a late push from Georgia and Kirby Smart. McElwain and two assistants reportedly recently visited Taylor at home.

One prize for National Signing Day would be a signature from five-star CB Kristian Fulton, who chose Florida for his final official visit before signing day after earlier this month visiting LSU and Arkansas. Fulton has listed LSU as his leader, but Florida showed the ability to steal Franks from the Tigers.

On the other side of the ball, Florida hopes to add another wide receiver to the class and has a host of recruits committed to other schools. The Gators would need to flip any one of their receiving targets from schools like Miami, Auburn and Houston.

ASSESSING FLORIDA’S 2016 CLASS

Current commits or enrollees: 26

Remaining primary targets: CB Kristian Fulton, TE Nick Eubanks, WR Tyrie Cleveland, WR Nate Craig-Myers, WR Sam Bruce, WR Eli Stove, WR Tre Nixon

National/SEC rank: 6/3

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Keith Farner

A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.